KUAR | By Daniel Breen
Arkansas lawmakers have voted down an attempt to limit the spending authority of the state’s public television network.
Members of the Joint Budget Committee spent nearly an hour Thursday debating whether or not to cut Arkansas PBS’ cash appropriation by 20%, from just under $9 million to just over $7 million. The broadcaster would have needed approval from the Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council to spend beyond that amount. The agency’s entire budget totals just over $15 million.
The proposal was presented as an amendment to Arkansas PBS’ budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The amendment’s author, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, said lawmakers should monitor the agency’s spending more closely given the results of a recent audit revealing questionable spending practices.
John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate
An attempt to limit the spending authority of Arkansas PBS failed in a legislative committee Thursday.